And what are the hidden agendas, the implicit value systems, the no go areas? I get the impression that liberal/social democrat, human rights, environmental ethics and even a bit of anti-capitalism is almost de rigeur - but then I may be doing you all an awful disservice because I haven't been here a wet week (as we say in Ireland) and have read only a tiny sample of diaries and comments.

You've got the right impression, generally. Someone somewhere has a graph plotting the political spectrum of the members... Still, I think most people are welcome here so long as you are respectful and your ideas can be intelligently defended. Even if they are unpopular. We have a way of getting people to come around ... ;)

Are we all frustrated journalists here, failed academics, or seers whose genius the world just plain refuses to recognize?

Lord help the poor journalist who finds themselves here. Academics, some. Failed? Define "failed." Seers? I think you can get banned for any mention of the occult. Or at least you have to put up with Jerome complaining it. The world does not refuse to recognize our genius. They just haven't been properly made aware of it yet.

Or is this just that wonderful human institution, an Irish pub without any beer, but where everybody gabs just for the sheer fun of it?

Yes.

Every newcomer wonders how and where they will "fit in", and whether they would be better off going elsewhere. Just what is your unique selling point?

Selling? Has someone asked you for your money? Ignore them. They'll just waste it on beer and obscure economics texts.

I don't expect you all to rush off to justify yourselves, particularly to the new kid on the block, but what exactly are your brand values and why should I spend time here rather than elsewhere?

Brand values? What part of "anti-capitalist" do you not understand?! ;) Why should I tell you where to spend your time? ...

Is it a mutual admiration society, a community learning experience, an opportunity to brag about how much I know on certain topics, a forum to exercise my debating skills or just a nice friendly place to be?

Yes.

In other words, what have YOU gotten out of it, being a participant here, and, given the chance, would you do it all over again?

LOL. Not only would I do it all over again, but I have! Several times!

I can't speak for everyone, but I like that I can come here and let my mad thoughts out and sometimes people even listen to them. And I enjoy the mad thoughts of others.

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.

"LOL. Not only would I do it all over again, but I have! Several times! "

I'm surprised you didn't tick the "sad git" box so! And for one so poemless you sure write a lot of prose - I'm still engrossed by your limited edition love poem to Putin. Your family politics makes the Russian mafia look easy going, but what made you such a Kremlinologist?

LE love poem to Putin? What? I do not write poetry, and certainly not romantic poetry (like Stalin did, apparently.) My family politics are complicated, yes, but I love them all. If there is any resemblance to the Russian mafia, it may have to do with the fact that my (adopted) family is Sicilian... uh huh. You don't want to mess with them. No sir. And I am many things, but not a Kremlinologist. I just have cruel weakness for that country, and its men in particular...

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.

The x and y axes are explained lower down the page with the compass of the UK political parties as an example. But, roughly speaking, ET members find themselves in the lower left quadrant, that is, the libertarian* left.

Lest anyone take it too seriously, I will say that I view the compass as an amusing toy, nothing serious. And I'll note that the people here with whom I most frequently agree are not located particularly near me (or each other, for that matter) on the graph....

I'm at -5, -5.74, sort of between Metatone and MarekNYC, but I've taken the test at another time and gotten a different score. I find some of the questions too vague and badly worded to be able to answer them consistently, and I don't think they accurately measure the things they attempt to measure.

Goodness! Look what this conversation has descended into: slop and the Pointer Sisters! :) But such is the fate of very long threads. Going back to the initial points, now that I've been tempted out of lurkdom: I voted "I learn some new stuff written from interestingly new angles" in the poll, and I second Nanne's words above:

ET is an antidote to the meaningless, self-satisfied and often spectacularly uninformed discourse in traditional media